Broody hen won’t stop being broody!

[Meehan]

I have a buff ameraucana that is broody. She has been for a month or so, but we don’t want her to have chicks and she I isn’t even sitting on eggs but she still sits there all day. How can I break her broodiness? Is something wrong? Thanks she was a good layer before but she hasn’t laid an egg since

 

[rosemarythyme]

If she's already been sitting that long I imagine she'll give up pretty soon on her own.

For future reference, it's best to break them immediately if you don't intend for them to hatch, as broodiness can be hard on their bodies and can cause some flock strife. Lock them in a wire crate (or I use an isolation pen) with food and water for about 72 hours, then if they're not showing obvious broody signs (puffing up, low cluck cluck cluck, etc) you can let them out and see where they go. If they go back to the nest at any point, lock them up another 24 hours, then try letting them out again. Until they stay off the nest, they don't get to stay out.

 

[Henriettamom919]

If she's already been sitting that long I imagine she'll give up pretty soon on her own.

For future reference, it's best to break them immediately if you don't intend for them to hatch, as broodiness can be hard on their bodies and can cause some flock strife. Lock them in a wire crate (or I use an isolation pen) with food and water for about 72 hours, then if they're not showing obvious broody signs (puffing up, low cluck cluck cluck, etc) you can let them out and see where they go. If they go back to the nest at any point, lock them up another 24 hours, then try letting them out again. Until they stay off the nest, they don't get to stay out.

Yes to all of this! As long as she's been at it I'd just start tossing her out as often as you can. Try to entice her with some food or treat; scrambled eggs, oats, sunflower seeds, whatever.

I also used a dog crate with NO bedding and a couple baking racks in the bottom for broody breaking.

 

[Meehan]

Yeah I have been taking her out like 20 every day since she started. She gets treats and dust bathes with all the others and then she walks right back up. I will try the isolation.

 

[aart]

Yeah I have been taking her out like 20 every day since she started. She gets treats and dust bathes with all the others and then she walks right back up. I will try the isolation.

Breaker Crate works good, might take longer with how long she's been sitting.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[roheryn]

I've got a 1yo Pyncheon bantam that won't stop being broody. I tried breaking her before we went on vacation for 12 days, but alas, no dice. Of course the neighbors watching the girls wouldn't know what to do and I was hoping she would just give up, but again, nope. So she's been broody over 2 weeks now. I've been putting her in my big dog kennel (no bedding, just wire and dirt) all day, with food and water and a 2x2 to sit on, and only let her out at night. She runs right back to the nest, after chasing and pecking the other hens for good measure. grouchy little bird! I'll try aart's idea of a smaller kennel with wire bottom and constant containment until she stops running to the nest. I'll have to bring her inside for protection at night, but hopefully it will stop soon. Its hot here in CA, so I hate to keep her cooped up (the other girls are under the hen house wallowing in the cool dirt) but its worse if she stays in the top of the house in the nest. Never had a hen last this long before!

 

[aart]

Its hot here in CA, so I hate to keep her cooped up

Had a broody last summer during a heat wave, just kept moving the crate around to the shade, 2-3 times a day...and put a frozen liter bottle of water on crate floor.
I actually think the 'change of scenery' might helped break her.